Mahmoud Abu Hamda
The Life of the Displaced During the War  

June 11, 2026by Isabel Walter

Mahmoud Abu Hamda is a Palestinian photographer, based in Gaza. Since 2023 the subject-matter of his work has shifted, to focus on the ongoing genocide in Gaza. This shift towards depicting the humanitarian crisis was driven by proximity–like all photographers and journalists in Gaza, the devastation which he depicts is also the reality in which he lives. 

© Mahmoud Abu Hamda

This reality, enforced by the blockade on Gaza by the Israeli government, and exacerbated by the fact that foreign journalists are not allowed into the country, means that for photographers like Mahmoud, the boundaries between themselves and their subjects are increasingly blurred.  

© Mahmoud Abu Hamda
© Mahmoud Abu Hamda
© Mahmoud Abu Hamda

His series The Life of the Displaced During the War engages with this ambiguity. The series documents the intense and all-encompassing destruction of the region, and the daily lives of people living within the Gaza Strip. In one photo, a group of young children huddle around a fire. One lifts a cup to another mouth, helping him drink. Around them, rubble is strewn on the ground, debris from the city which has been destroyed. In this series, the personal and the political, documentary and diaristic combine, mirroring the complicated reality in which Abu Hamda lives. 

This text is published in Foam Magazine #68: Talent, in June 2026. Read more about the Foam Talent Runners-up.

About the artist

MAHMOUD ABU HAMDA is a Palestinian photographer based in Gaza, working professionally since 2011. He studied multimedia at the University College of Applied Sciences, Gaza, and lectured in photography at the University of Gaza City. He collaborates with international organisations and media outlets to distribute his critical documentation of Gaza’s evolving reality, presenting Gaza’s resilience, despair, and humanity. Through his work, he aims to illuminate the power of photography to bear witness, raise global awareness, and inspire humanitarian action. Abu Hamda’s work has been featured internationally, including Magnum Photos and TRT World, and awarded the Lucie Awards Impact Award in 2023. 

About the author

ISABEL WALTER is a writer and curator based in Amsterdam. She currently works as Assistant Curator at Foam, and Editorial Assistant at Foam Magazine. She is particularly interested in art which expands the technical and conceptual boundaries of photography, moving image and new technologies.

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Image credit: The Life of the Displaced During the War by Mahmoud Abu Hamda


Mahmoud Abu Hamda - The Life of the Displaced During the War   Mahmoud Abu Hamda, a Palestinian photographer based in Gaza, has shifted his work since 2023 to docu [...]
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Foam Talent Runner-up: Mahmoud Abu Hamda